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Recently gaining a new recognition in the contemporaryglass art scene, lampworking is appreciated by artistsand collectors alike for its expressive detail and skilful

precision.Commercially, it has been used in the production of

scientific lab ware, and scientific glass blowers have beencalled upon to help conceptual artists create their vision.

Historically, a number of artistic lampworkers, such asHungarian Istvan Andras Komáromy, started out makingscientific apparatus, but his creative figurative work was sooutstanding that he was invited to Britain as a celebrityglass artist. His creations were collected by Queen Mary,were given as a wedding gift to our current Queen, andwere supplied through Harrods. In 1937 he married anEnglish woman, but was widowed in 1950. With threesmall children to raise as a single parent, he had to curtailhis creative aspirations for work that he knew would sell.

Lampworking glass in Britain has its roots dating back tothe alchemists and early scientific exploration. In a Dublin1740 newspaper article, the talents of a Mrs Johnson aredescribed, who made ‘human figures, birds, swords, ships,and other glass items.’ 1

In 1851 the catalogue at London’s Great Exhibition givesan indication of the range of wares the Blaschkas broughtto show the Victorians: ‘BLASCHKA & SONS, Liebenau,

Bohemia – Manufacturers. Paste (jewellery), for artificialprecious stones, beads, glass buttons, lustre pendants...’ 2

The Blaschkas have an on-going influence oncontemporary glass artists. Currently Rachel Elliot hasreceived an award of merit for her ‘fused glass powder’submission: ‘Fragile Entomology: Quiet’ which is part of anexhibition called ‘Lifeforms’, inspired by Blaschka’s flowerdebut at Pittsburgh glass centre.

Originally, following his father’s jewellery andflameworking business in the Czech Republic, LeopoldBlaschka went on, in the 1850s, to hone his skills as agoldsmith and explore his passion for natural history. This hedid by making detailed studies of orchid specimens in glass.Leopold created the clear glass components, which werepainted, glued and wired to create stunning visual objects.

A local aristocrat, Prince Camille de Rohan, heard of hiswork and commissioned him to create 100 glass models ofhis orchid collection. This attracted the interest of theDresden Natural History Museum, which commissioned aseries of marine invertebrates in glass.

Currently the Blaschka glass models are listed as one ofthe twenty-two important ‘Treasures’ in the Natural HistoryMuseum in London. They acquired 185 models between1866–1889, which are held in the ‘Treasure’ CadoganGallery. With his son Rudolph, their work inspired Victorian

glass makers to spin glass ships andfloral assemblies displayed underdomes. The Blaschkas’ body of work,artistically, creatively and technically, stillamazes and inspires. Their creations ofdetailed botanical models of commonand exotic plants from Europe andNorth America are on view at CorningMuseum in the USA.

Contemporary lampworking in the UKowes its current influences to thoseacross the ‘big sea’. A number of Britishlampwork artists have trained in the USA,or have trained with visiting Americanlampworkers. The Americans have seen ahuge development in the use of handtorching or flameworked glass within thecreative sector over the last couple ofdecades. The ability to manipulate glass inthe flame has evolved as the creativevisions of artists have challenged themedium. This is due to the developmentof new glass formulations, a huge paletteof colours, tools that make handling hotglass manageable, and torches that arespecialised for the needs of the artist.Until recently, it has been difficult forBritish flamework artists to acquire thesenewer tools and glass materialsdomestically.

Personally I love the use of colour and veryunscientifically dibble and dabble and layer the palate ofcoloured rods like a painter. I create my work with a love ofthe details; the fingers and toes on a figure, the folds on apetal as if caught in the wind. Flame working has allowedme to capture these details, but is also the alchemist withinthe artist that enjoys the energy and excitement of creatingnew forms from fire. The heat, the danger, but a Zen quietas well.

This is evident in the ground-breaking performance art ofCarrie Fertig. Her ‘Torcher Chamber Arkestra’ performed‘Torcher Tailor’ at the 2012 International Festival of Glass inStourbridge. Fertig and fellow flamework artists – DianaEast, Zoe Garner, James Lethbridge, Sabine Little, Yi (Pearl)Peng, Ayako Tani and Sean Taylor – build a glass dress for abride, all the while accompanied by music based on thesounds made by glass.

‘Torcher Chamber Arkestra’s’ newest work, ‘Flames andFrequencies’, will be featured at the Craft Council’s ‘Real toReel’, a touring exhibition to be held at London’s DesignFestival. Carrie Fertig has also been very busy creating‘Homing’ for Chichester Cathedral, an impressive pair ofindividually made feather dove wings that span the NorthTransept.

Other media-grabbing flameworked sculptures includethe large studies of micro-organisms in clear scientific glassby Luke Jerram. Working with virologists from the Universityof Bristol, Jerram created bacterium and viral models whichwere made in glass by commercial/scientific glass blowersKim George, Brian Jones and Norman Veitch. This work is ina number of collections and can be seen at the NationalGlass Centre until September 2013.

Also working with scientific glass and bridging artisticvision and design with function is James Lethbridge. Hisflameworked glass chandeliers are on my wish list!

Julie Anne Denton finds a way to combine her beautiful

flameworked glass figures with a tapestryof colour, alchemy (the occasional foundbird foot) and manages to add in thedrama of the hot shop with her mythicalsand-casts.

The differing skills held by technicaland artistic flameworkers are nowbeginning to be exploited fully. Whetherartists construct their artistic visioncollaboratively using skilled technicians, orinteract directly in the unique symbioticrelationship with the flame, one thing iscertain – the magic of flameworkingoffers unlimited effects for glass work.

1 Corning Museum Of Glass research article:http://www.cmog.org/article/breaking-glass-ceiling-women-working-glass

2 http://www.cmog.org/article/blaschkas-glass-models-invertebrate-animals-1863-1890 3 Luke Jerram is speaking at the CGS CONFERENCE inOctober. See page 10

Rowan van der Holt started flameworking in 2004. She juggles torch time between a young family’s needsand treks up the garden path to her studio.www.rowanvanderholt.co.uk

FLAMEWORKING PAST AND PRESENTBY ROWAN VAN DER HOLT

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An elementary guide for coldworking small-scale castglass with a minimum investment in machinery.

One can easily invest a fortune in coldworkingmachinery. Thankfully, there is a great deal that canbe accomplished with a modest investment in a few

small versatile machines and basic hand tools.The range of techniques of coldworking is vast and can

transform your work. Two useful books are ColdworkingGlass Without Machines by Paul Tarlow, or JohnathonSchmuck’s, The Joy of Coldworking, available throughWarm Glass.

Firstly, save time and effort through proper preparationof the model and mould. Using the best materials can makean enormous difference to the quality of your cast and saveyou hours of coldworking. Goldstar Crystal cast inconjunction with ceramicast plaster is a very good mouldmix. Green casting wax from Tiranti’s gives crisp detail. Thetype of glass you use can have a significant effect on thequality of the cast. Harder glass types (without lead) tend tocast ‘cleaner’ and therefore require less coldworking toachieve a smooth surface, such as Bullseye glass, but will bemore difficult to coldwork because of they are harder.

It is far easier to perfect a wax or clay model than it is tocoldwork glass. For wax models white spirit is a goodsmoothing material and the Versatip heat tool by Dremel isuseful in conjunction with metal tools for shaping.

Be sure your mould is clean and with no loose bits.Varnishing the interior of the mould (thinned with meths)provides a cleaner, more stable surface and improves thesurface quality of the cast.

Hoover the kiln. Put glass into the mould in the kiln toavoid damage. Level the mould on the shelf with a spiritlevel to avoid lengthy flatbedding. Use spacers betweenflowerpot reservoirs and moulds to avoid problems. Leaveglass for a day or two in the kiln after casting and beforecoldworking to avoid shocking the glass.

Removing the mould mix from the glass can be achallenge. Use a flat bladed screwdriver or an arrow shapedmetal tool to gently pry the mould away from the cast a bitat a time. You can soak the mould off in a bucket of waterand scrub with a washing up brush and a toothbrush. Forstubborn areas try pressurised water sources such as dentalwaterpics or pressure washers. Soak glass in limescaleremovers such as Viakal or Cillit Bang grime and lime, whichhas the added benefit of giving a sheen to lead-based glass.Or scrub your glass with a toothbrush or a Scotchbrite padand smoker’s toothpaste.

An invaluable item to custom make for your sink is aslatted wooden shelf. This provides an area where you canwork safely on your glass with water, as the wood will notdamage the glass. The bracing slats underneath can bemade to fit the inner dimensions of your sink, which serveto hold it in place.

Make wedges of wood and press them between the slatsto anchor your glass while coldworking.

Connecting a 60cm or so length of hose pipe to your tapwill allow you to rinse your glass without worry of knockingit against the metal tap.

With a piece of flexible armature wire you can rig up adrip feed support to slot the hosepipe into whencoldworking.

Glass artist Jacque Pavlosky is the tutor of kiln-formedglass at Bucks New University. She welcomes glass artiststo share her kiln-formed glass studio in Buckinghamshire.www.jacquepavlosky.com

As the CGS Glass Skills 2013 builds up to its conference crescendo inOctober, I’m led to thinking about the year so far. Two massivelysuccessful exhibitions – both in terms of footfall and sales – were

staged in Cumbria and London. Numerous online gallery exhibitions – somewith invited curators – and a wonderful series of shows and events featuredin An Unbroken Line.

Here in the magazine, we’vespotlighted casting, hot glassand now, in this issue,flameworking. Rowan van derHolt takes the main stage onpage 2 with her exploration offlameworking past and present.There’s an ingenious re-workingof an egg-whisk for those ofyou who like to make your owntools. And, in a brand newcolumn ‘Inspired by ...’, AnnaSkibska tells us about herinfluences. Or lack of them!

Let’s not forget NewDesigners. Once again CGS hasorganised a Glass Prize, andonce again there is new studenttalent worthy of the prestigiousaward. We wish them allsuccess.

COLDWORKING PART 1PREPARATIONBY JACQUE PAVLOSKY

EDITORIAL CGSGlassneTWorK

CONTEMPORARY GLASS SOCIETYc/oBROADFIELDHOUSEGLASSMUSEUMCOMPTON DRIVE, KINGSWINFORDWEST MIDLANDS DY6 9NStel 01379 741120e-mail admin@cgs.org.ukwww.cgs.org.uk

Contemporary Glass Society. Registered in England and Wales No: 5062300.Registered Office: The White House, Ipswich Rd,Dickleburgh, Norfolk IP21 4NJ

ISSN 1476-9247

Editor Milly FrancesNewsletter contact editor@cgs.org.ukCopy Editor Jayne BoothDesign and typesetting Roger Kohn Website Co-ordinator Nicola SchellanderContact cgsweb@hotmail.co.ukPrinted by Micropress tel 01986 834200

COPY DATES DECEMBER 2013: 15 OCTOBER 2013MARCH 2014: 15 DECEMBER 2013JUNE 2014: 15 APRIL 2014SEPTEMBER 2014: 15 JULY 2014

The views expressed by contributors do not necessarilyreflect those of the Contemporary Glass Society nor canCGS be responsible for the claims of the advertisers.

� MILLY FRANCES, EDITOR, GLASS NETWORK

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Arts-wise, the UK is not a pretty sight at the moment.Opportunities are drying up, organisations areslimming down, and services and facilities that we

used to enjoy are quietly disappearing. And it’s not justbecause people aren’t getting funding from the Arts Council,it’s the knock-on effect of councils feeling the pinch, rentsgoing up and belts being tightened in all sectors. Will theprivate sector ride in on a white horse wearing a shiny suit ofarmour? More likely to ride in on a flying pig.

I believe that the Arts will always survive, but there is nodoubt that things will look different. Maybe the answer isless radical than we think.

‘Membership is the future’– so said Susan Jones and JoWilson of a-n, The Artists’ Information Company, the otherday in the course of conversation, and something clickedinto place. a-n is one of the UK’s largest visual artsmembership organisations, so they know a thing or twoabout this. We can’t rely on the government and individualenterprise to save the Arts (not that we should take thepressure off, though!). If we want to create stable,sustainable futures, then collective funding around ashared interest will be key. And that is precisely what the

CGS does. Our membership enables us to deliver quality,consistency and excellence. We see this too in the growingsuccess of crowdfunding in terms of one-off projects,although this is a bit more volatile. Membershiporganisations are crowdfunding projects grown up.

The CGS survived our loss of regular Arts Councilfunding last year because we have members. We are notout of the woods yet in terms of being self sufficient, butwe can feel positive about the future because we have anunderpinning of membership that enables us to offersomething of great quality that will be here tomorrow.Only 200 more members and we are cooking on gas!

I had an e-mail from an artist who rather pointedly saidthe CGS fees were too much and she was going to pursuefree (I imagined her typing that bit with special emphasis)options to promote her work. I don’t think those freeoptions will be around for very long. Which is why I thinkthat what we do at CGS is an exemplary model forongoing funding of the Arts. Membership is indeed thefuture.

Victoria Scholes is Chair of the CGS

BACKDROP POWER TO THE PEOPLE

BY VICTORIA SCHOLES

CENTRE OFEXCELLENCEBY HELGA WATKINS-BAKER

The Glass Hub is a new glass facility that offers shortcourses and masterclasses in hot and warm glass. Setin a beautiful riverside setting in Wiltshire, The Glass

Hub has ambitions to become a national and internationalcentre for glass education and creativity.

It is the brainchild of Helga Watkins-Baker and KT Yun,recently seen on Channel 4’s ‘Man Made Home’, wherethey melted glass from sand in a field and proceeded tomake a window for Kevin McCloud’s shed! With many glassfactories, colleges and studios closing, KT and Helga aremore determined than ever that they should keep thesefantastic processes alive – and people’s enthusiasm for thematerial is what inspires them and fuels their own passion.

Alongside an on-going programme of courses in coretechniques, they invite visiting artists to come and sharetheir specialist glass expertise. The Glass Hub has recentlyhosted masterclasses with high profile glass artists such asFiaz Elson, Max Jacquard and Scott Benefield.

Helga and KT have many years of teaching practice aswell as a mass of experience and glass knowledge. Bothwere part of the original team that established the LiquidGlass Centre, one of the first independent glass schools tooffer short courses in hot and warm glass all the year round.They went on to pursue their own interests for a few years,Helga writing her book Kiln Forming Glass, and KTdeveloping her own range of portable furnaces, theMinimelt, which has revolutionised access to hot glassfacilities for individual/small-scale operations.

Recently they decided to return to teaching, and invitinginspirational glass artists to share their passion became a keyaim. ‘I have always believed that glass is one of the mostexciting and stimulating mediums to work with,’ says KT,‘and we want to communicate the excitement of thisamazing material to both new and developing artists.’ Theyaim to bring leading glass artists to come and share theirexpertise, communicating their passion for making andextensive experience to new generations of glass artists.Helga says, ‘Since we first started teaching many years ago,we have seen an explosion in the range of courses andinformation available to those interested in glass making…we want to now open up the possibilities of learning toinclude a focus on the contemporary skills of UK andinternational glass artists, so that we can all share ourknowledge and passion for the material.’

The Glass Hub offers unique facilities, encompassing alltypes of hot, warm and cold glass making. Techniquescurrently on offer include glass blowing, kiln casting, fusingand slumping, sculpture, jewellery, glass printing andlampworking. Highlights coming up include masterclasseswith Angela Jarman and Louis Thompson.

Information on all The Glass Hub’s courses can be foundat www.theglasshub.co.uk or tel 01225 768888

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CGS NEW DESIGNERSGLASS AWARD 2013

For the fourth year running the CGS has sponsored theNew Designers Associate Glass Prize for the mostpromising graduates at the annual London show.

Winner Juli Bolaños-Durman and Runner up Laura AnneReed, both from Edinburgh, will benefit from a prizepackage worth over £2,000.

Five commendations were made: to Olga Redondo(Glyndwr), Paul Baxter and Joanna Lloyd (Farnham), ElliotWalker (Wolverhampton) and Swansea School of Glass fortheir overall stand.

New this year is a prize for commitment to skill, won byErin Barr from Sunderland. Sponsored by Simon Moore, Erinreceives £250 in cash and four priceless one-to-onemasterclasses in Simon’s London workshop.

This year the prize will be especially significant as it formspart of the CGS’s Glass Skills 2013 – a year of exhibitions,events and workshops that explore the fusion of art andtechnique.

Congratulations to all, and thanks to organiser and judgeKaren Murphy, and judges Simon Moore, KatharineColeman, Amanda Simmons and Peter Layton.

Thanks to our sponsors: Simon Bruntnell www.northlightphotography.co.ukWarm Glass www.warm-glass.co.ukCreative Glass UK www.creativeglassshop.co.ukCraft & Design Magazine www.craftanddesign.netand Simon Moore www.simonmoore.uk.comOh, and Alan J. Poole for his gift of books!

WINNER JULI BOLAÑOS-DURMAN The primary theme within my creative process is theexploration of preciousness and play within the studiopractice. Preciousness is not only the value or quality of thematerials themselves, but more so what they represent. Ifind myself choosing and treasuring things that have a storyand a link that represent emotional connections. Therefore,it is essential for the creative process to give the artwork thesame significance, disregarding where it came from or howit was constructed. I want to create raw pieces that are puttogether intuitively through play, by exploring the differentmaterials and inviting the viewer to become part of thejourney.

The objective of this series is to communicate how thewhole process is led by a ‘reflective practice’ of think andact, and links this practice directly to intuitive art: ‘In thissense it is improvisational and relies on feeling, responseand adjustment’ (Schön, 1983, pp. 780). By analysing theprocess and by understanding the situation, as practitioners,the research is fundamental for the development of theconcept and this is how the (Mix & Match) Series of twenty-five non-functional / sculptural vessels came to life.

PORTFOLIOS SKILLS PRIZE ERIN BARRI find myself preoccupied by skill and experimentation inglass. Working with hot glass, I try to redefine the contextand inspiration so that my art work can speak for itself. Mywork expresses my own individual creativity, innovation andevolution unified by material and process understanding.

These pieces show a combination of traditional Britishglass blowing skill and contemporary technology. In thiswork I explore and express my own fascination with blownglass by experimenting with new processes. The process Ipractise aims to free blown glass from its original confinesand preconceptions and give it acontemporary context. Through myexperimentation with the water jet and, inparticular, the printing and applicationprocess of decals, the surface of the glassproffers a new story.

The scenarios created in these storiesmake a visual map, aiming to share andchart personal journeys with the viewer.

http://glassartist.wix.com/erinibarrglass

RUNNER UP LAURA REED INFECTIOUS CRUELTY SERIESThis series is an exploration of the cruelty of process. Itexplores those traditional ideals associated with studio glassmaking. My pieces are drained of colour, pulled, stretchedand distressed.

Coming from a traditional studio background, I havedeliberately broken my own rules and challenged my chainof thought. Confronting what is considered to be badpractice for a glass blower.

Creating symmetrical forms then distorting them byadding organic mounds of molten glass. Deliberately usingcolour in an infectious way to create bruising anddiscoloured patches. With blobmorphic, curved, livingforms, the pieces are a juxtaposition struggling betweencruelty and seduction.

COMMENDED JOANNA LLOYD, ELIOT WALKER, OLGA REDONDO, PAUL BAXTER

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NEWS TOOLED UPBY AYAKO TANIROLL UP! ROLL UP!

No, not a smoking ad, but a plea for you all to join us atthe CGS CONFERENCE on October 12 and 13. Glass skills:exploring the fusion of art and technique is being held atthe newly refurbished National Glass Centre (NGC) and ispacked with fascinating artists and glass specialists. I mean,really packed. You wouldn’t know such fun could be had ina weekend. Download your booking forms from:www.cgs.org.uk

CGS RAFFLEDid you know that you don’t have to be at the CGSConference to win one of the five amazing prizes? Sowhen your ticket is pulled out of the hat, we guarantee toget the Colin Reid/Amanda Simmons/David Reekie/PeterLayton/Gillies Jones original masterpiece to you.There’s another raffle book in this issue. Buy all the ticketsyourself to maximise your chances of success.If you need more tickets, let Pam know on admin@cgs.org

GLASS GAMES BATONBruce Marks’s Glass Games Baton has been accepted byBroadfield House for their collection. The CGScommissioned the work for last year’s Olympic-themedglass celebrations.

CGS AGMI’m not going to pretend that our AGM is one of theConference highlights, but it is your society, and your

thoughts and votes are important to our continuingdevelopment. Come along and air your views at the NGC,at 4pm on Saturday 12 October 2013.

CGS GLASS SKILLS 2013An Unbroken Line, a year of exhibitions celebrating glassmakers’ skills is continuing apace. Still to come includeConstructions, new work by Jeffrey Sarmiento at the NGC,Contemporary Cast Glass at London Glassblowing, andGlasshaus V111at Parndon Mill, Essex.

CGS ONLINE GALLERYCurated by Angela Jarman, the latest small, but perfectlyformed online exhibition is a perfect gem. Click throughfrom www.cgs.org.uk

SAVE YOUR FEESDo you want us to spend your CGS membership fee wiselyon furthering the cause of contemporary glass? Simple. Allyou have to do is read CGS eBulletins. To avoid postal costsof £360 for each letter mail-out, we are increasingly relyingon eBulletins for sharing CGS announcements. But wehave to be sure that you’re receiving and reading them. To that end, we are putting PLEASE READ on thoseeBulletins that contain vital CGS announcements. Missthem at your peril!

If you do not have e-mail access, Pam Reekie is happy to post out any official papers if requested. tel 01379 741120

My lampworking teacher in Japan, KiyoshiMatsumura, was very passionate about making hisown tools, and he taught me tool making alongside

glass blowing in his workshops. As he said, self-producedtools can satisfy a specific need, they are cheap, and aboveall, making them is fun. As an artist who loves making thingsby hand, I can empathise with the joy of making not onlyglass, but anything, including hand tools. I often find that Iwould have to import tools from the United States if I didn’tmake them myself. I prefer not to buy tools from that faraway, avoiding customs and returns hassle. Instead ofspending a long time waiting for my order to arrive, I wouldprefer making my own tools both for function and fun.

On this occasion, I would like to introduce holders, whichI made with Matsumura’s instruction. These ‘claw’ holdersare used to support a hot piece of work in a flame. Bysliding the ring, the claws open or close and grab the pieceof work. They were transformed from a rotary egg whisk,which was made of stainless steel and has a strong stableaxis. Regarding cost, the egg whisk holder can be made atless than half of the price of similar claw holders.

More of Matsumura’s handmade tools can be found inhis book Flameworking With Borosilicate Glass (2007, HolpShuppan).

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NO HEROA professor of graphics at the Academy helped me todescend from the pedestal of the fully, foolishly’accomplished artist’ and directed me on the path of theeternal student and seeker. Consequently, it was easy todevelop the Anna Skibska Technique because I had awealth of nothingness. I had to build myself from nothingbut ideas at several stages of my life, and so I was obligedto acknowledge the quantity and quality of nothingness inmy work. Also, I have developed the Anna SkibskaTechnique because I was too lazy to even look at anyobscure and ancient techniques. I was bored beyondimagination, often by my teachers, who quite frequentlyknew less than I. Thus the Anna Skibska Technique wasinvented – through nothingness, impatience and laziness.

I developed the Technique as my o wn vocabularybecause I had something to say but no extant artisticidioms could convey my thoughts. Broken glass hadinherent symbolic value and was broadly available, whichwas also quite important for a person with modestfinancial means.

MY WORLD – INSTEAD OF THE ENIGMATICENTITY – A GLASS WORLDI know that I must go to my studio every day, to observe,register, establish and control myself, repeating the same

‘performance’ at my studio every day for years, becomingmore fluent over time. No performance is identical;therefore, no day is pointless. To maintain the sparkle ofsoul that prevents one’s work from becoming deadlyroutine or insufferable stubbornness, reinvention isnecessary. For that matter, the whole world must beapproached with personal humility and reverence for itspossibilities, or else the same deadly routine creeps into all things.

ART, TECHNIQUE, MATERIALI have always been interested in art. Neither technique normaterials offer enough appeal to devote my work (my life, I mean) to them.

QUESTION AND ALCHEMYA frequent request: Tell me about ‘your glass’. My answer: The glass that I use isn’t mine. It was made byso-and-so. But the sculpture is mine.

Yes. My large-scale sculptures are frequently anderroneously placed in a ‘genre’ known as glass art. Have weever heard of linden or oaken wood art? (Many greatsculptures were made of that kind of wood.) The materialseems to overwhelm so many people that they can seenothing but the material. My desire is to encompass space,trap light, cast shadows all plunged in time. I devote littletime to discussing the material or the chemistry of it. Iprefer the alchemy of it.

this work. That key is in the eyes of the beholder. Or it shouldbe. The work is right out there, Richard has done his part,and the rest is up to the viewer.

I can, however, finish with the apt words of the artisthimself: ‘It is certainly true that a central aspect of almost allthe work I make is the wish to maintain a pretty high degreeof ambiguity in it. That is, there very definitely for me, isnever any one central meaning or point the work tries tomake. My interest is associative, I like trying to find andcreate useful, hopefully “beautiful resonances” in my work.Those are what interest me in life, those moments when onepenetrating experience we have vividly conjures up otherones that seem very closely related, even though we normallythink of them as very far distant. For me, that’s whatunderstanding really consists of. Quite some time ago, Idecided that it wasn’t individual things or categories thatinterest me at all, it’s what can happen, does happen in whatwe imagine are “the empty spaces” BETWEEN those thingsand categories. For me, those spaces are FAR from empty.That’s my “playpen”!’

Michael Rogers is a professor in the Glass Program at TheRochester Institute of Technology and a practising artist.See his work at www.codexapparition.com

REVIEWTHREE SOLO SHOWS – RICHARD MEITNER

31 MARCH – 15 SEPTEMBER 2013, GLAZENHUIS, LOMMEL, BELGIUM

BY MICHAEL ROGERS

When viewing the work in Richard Meitner’s latestexhibition subtitled ‘Once Upon A Time’, Iimmediately think of language, its potential and its

limitations. The exhibition title suggests a story but whatstory is being told? In this case there is not one answer tothat question. Art, after all, is a language unto itself. It picksup where other languages leave off. In this context Richard isa masterful visual poet. Poets refer to the space between thewords, words arranged in unlikely pairings or combinationsso as to become new inventions and associative triggeringmachines. In this way, what Richard creates appears to beobjects to ‘think’ with. These works speak indirectly to thelimitations of spoken or written language as we know it asRichard’s art seems to ‘speak’ to aspects of experience, orinterpretations of experience that are failed by words. Wherewords fail us appears to be his playground. Richard haschosen art as his language perhaps because of its greaterlatitude as a communicative tool, its lack of a dictionary, andstrict rules imposed by others. In this way he addressessomething universal and yet singular, something we all sharebut not in the same way, our uniqueness. Moreover, I thinkof his uniqueness, as should we all.

Richard’s unusual works appear formed yet still areforming. By this I mean that they appear still life intransformation, arrested yet in the process of becoming, as ifan apparition of a process more than an object. The multipleassociations triggered tend to morph as well. This all appearsvery serious fun, there is something fleeting and whimsicalabout this work and ultimately something profound. I’msorry I cannot provide the exact key to fully understanding

INSPIRED BY…BY ANNA SKIBSKA

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CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

CGS CONFERENCEExplore the fusion of art and technique along with Luke Jerram, Kéké Cribbs, Wendy Fairclough, Geoff Mann and others.12–13 October National Glass Centre, SunderlandTo book go to www.cgs.org.uk

SYMPOSIUM: CASTING BRILLIANCELooking at contemporary artists’ practice. Speakers includeColin Reid, Felicity Aylieff, Annie Cattrell and Andrew Lacey.9 November 2013. Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum.Full details available atwww.cheltenham.artgallery.museum

EXHIBITION Dan Klein and Alan J. Poole Private Collection – Selection From The Glass Collection29 June 2013 – June 2014National Glass Centre, Sunderland. tel 0191 515 5544.website www.nationalglasscentre.com

CASTING BRILLIANCE: GLASS BY COLIN REIDCheltenham Museum and Art Gallery5 October 2013 – 5 January 2014Exhibition celebrating the thirty year career of Colin Reid.Includes new work, a commissioned film and processartefacts.For more details, visit www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk

GREAT NORTHERN CONTEMPORARY CRAFT FAIR10–13 October 2013The sixth annual mixed media fair with 150 designer-makers, including Rachel Elliot and Janine Partington.Spinningfields, City Centre, Manchester M3 3AQ.e-mail enquiries@greatnorthernevents.co.ukwebsite www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk

CALLS TO ENTRY

NEW GLASS REVIEW 35Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG) is looking for workcreated from 1 October 2012 – 1 October 2013 for itsannual survey of glass in contemporary art, architecture,craft and design. Deadline 1 October 2013. CMOG encourages online applications at:www.cmog.org/research/publications/new-glass-review

LISTINGSmaker with over twenty years of experience and a JerwoodPrize to his name. His work focuses on repetition, sequenceand multiples, as can been seen in Archive. The work iseighteen pieces of hot-sculpted glass housed in a woodencase with specific lighting.

Steffen Dam’s intricate and detailed work, shown atJoanna Bird, caught Bruno Romanelli’s eye, ‘His work is allabout detail, infinite worlds inside finite spaces... Theyvibrate with life, even though they are “still”, a wonderfulparadox.’ Steffen, from Denmark, has been working in glassfor twenty-five years and tries to, as he puts it, ‘describewhat’s not tangible and understandable with our everydaysenses.’ His traditional technique is blowing glass but otherforms, like casting, are also present.

The surprise of the show seems to be Jeffrey Sarmientoand Erin Dickson’s massive floor-to-ceiling installation,Emotional Leak. Made at, and represented by, the NationalGlass Centre at Sunderland. The work is dozens of layers ofwaterjet cut float glass on a steel and rubber base. Thepiece flows and swirls and pours from the ceiling as thougha spigot were turned on. A special version of the piece wasprepared to accommodate the 4m ceilings of the SaatchiGallery.

My thanks to Alan J. Poole, Bruno Romanelli, HeikiBracklow, Louis Thompson, Jeffrey Sarmiento, Erin Dicksonand Stephen Prendergast for their time, thoughts andcomments.

Justin is a committee member of the CGS and long-timecollector and follower of British glass.

This year marked COLLECT’s tenth anniversary and,when asked to write a review of the show, I thought itwould be interesting to talk with makers, collectors

and admirers about what they saw, liked and loved. As a reminder, COLLECT is an international art fair for

contemporary objects, organised by the Crafts Council andheld annually. Founded in 2003 it was originally housed atthe V&A but the show has recently moved to the SaatchiGallery on the King’s Road. This year the fair featured thirty-two galleries from ten countries with almost halfrepresenting a glass artist. Some, like the Plateaux Gallery,showed glass exclusively. In addition there were elevenproject spaces featuring work from specific artists coveringthe range of media at the show including glass.

Universal opinion was that the Saatchi Gallery is awonderful venue for the show in general and on the tenthanniversary in particular. While there was an undeniablecharm at the V&A, the new space offers a substantialimprovement in most respects. Heike Brachlow comments,‘I think the Saatchi Gallery is a great venue, lovely settingwith plenty of space and high ceilings.’ And thisimprovement has been noticed, with eight new galleriesappearing this year.

When asked about their favourite piece at the show,everyone was quick to offer praise for the quality, thoughtand originality of all the pieces on show. Particular praisewas reserved for a few works though.

Alan J. Poole was taken with Louis Thompson’s Archiveof DNA Markers, represented by The Gallery at LondonGlassblowing, describing it as ‘stunning’. Louis is a British

REVIEWCOLLECT 201310–13 MAY 2013

SAATCHI GALLERY, LONDON

BY JUSTIN MOODIE

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